Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the Malaysian state of Sabah which occupies the northern corner of the island of Borneo. ‘KK’, as the city is locally known, has arguably one of the most beautiful locations of any city in Malaysia. It faces the gorgeous emerald-coloured South China Sea while its harbour is protected by […]

Malaysians love to shop. I believe the favourite national pastime in the weekends is strolling through one of the many shopping malls. For the locals, it’s a family-outing or a way of spending time with friends. It’s also a great opportunity to people-watch or escape the scorching tropical heat outside! For tourists, Kuala Lumpur is […]

What: Grilled soy-glazed tuna with honey & cardamom, and served with a cucumber, avocado, red & green pepper salad. Where: Chandi, Seminyak, Bali Note: OMG! This was probably the most divine tuna steak I’ve had in a very long time. Grilled medium-rare, the texture was slightly crispy on the outside and delicate on the inside. […]

All flights that approach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from the north fly over Malaysia’s new administrative capital, Putrajaya. To have the best views, I recommend sitting on the left side of the plane (i.e. row ‘A’). Located approximately 45 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya was built at a tune of $8.1 billion to relieve […]

Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital of Malaysia, is a fascinating city that is constantly on the move. It offers stunning architecture, an amazing array of cuisines, a broad variety of shopping and an exciting and varied nightlife. Anyone planning to spend some time in Southeast Asia should have KL on their itinerary. 1. Shop till […]

“A tropical paradise, five wishes and a setback” (A page from my Travel Journal) I’m sitting here on Ao Nang beach in Krabi province (southern Thailand) just a few steps from my bungalow at the Krabi Resort. The sea breeze is gorgeous and the view of the Andaman Sea and the amazing limestone outcrops jutting out […]

What: Nasi lemak Where: On board most Air Asia flights Note: Nasi lemak is a traditional Malaysian dish (some call it the national dish). Nasi lemak literally means ‘creamy rice’. The rice is soaked in coconut milk and cooked. Knots of pandan leaves are added for a wonderful flavour and scent. The rice is served […]

“My velvet escape travel tip“ is a guest series about what the name ‘Velvet Escape’ evokes and what that would be in the hometown of the guest writer. With this series, I hope to uncover travel tips from places around the world to help visitors have a truly local experience. Passport & airplane tickets: checked. […]

Jogjakarta (Jogja), also often spelled as Yogyakarta, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia, and has for centuries been the cultural capital of Java. With its palaces, museums and countless art galleries, Jogja is definitely worth a visit of at least a few days. At the centre of the city is the beautiful kraton, or […]

This week’s edition of ‘A world of inspiration‘ was written by Honor Dargan, who is a British expat in Japan. Honor was in Phuket, Thailand, on that fateful day in 2004 when more than 200,000 lives were lost after a massive tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean and the Andaman Sea. She shares with us […]